College narrows search for advising director

The four finalists for the new position of director of academic advising will be coming to campus over the next two weeks.

A new centralized advising system will be implemented in Fall 2013, headed by the selected director of academic advising. It will serve as a supplement to traditional advising but will focus on giving students guidance about the new Integrative Core Curriculum.

Each candidate will have an open session, which students, faculty and staff are welcome to attend.

Bonnie Comella, director of advising and operations of the biology department at Cornell University, will have her open session from 12:10 to 1:05 p.m. Thursday in the Taughannock Falls Room.

Dawn Kline, director of undergraduate academic advising and counseling at the school of management at Syracuse University, will be on campus from 12:10 to 1:05 p.m., Dec. 11 in Job Hall 161.

Sally Neal, director of academic advising of the Academic Career Employment Internships Transfer Center at Western Wyoming Community College, will have her session from noon to 1 p.m., Dec. 14 in Job 161.

Loen Graceson-Martin, director of student services at the school of engineering at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, will be on campus from 12:10 to 1:05 p.m. Dec. 18 in the Ithaca Falls Room.

The candidates were selected by a search committee headed by Margaret Arnold, special assistant to the provost and educational affairs. The expected start date for the chosen candidate is Feb. 1.

Cedrick-Michael Simmons, a junior at Ithaca College, was a member of the search committee. He said the open sessions will provide an important insight into the candidates and help them get a feel for who they are.

“The candidates are going to talk about their thoughts on the position, their thoughts about Ithaca College as a whole and give the campus community an opportunity to get a sense of who the candidates are and ask any questions,” Simmons said.

Arnold said all the candidates would bring the experience and enthusiasm necessary for the position.

“All of them have been a director of a center before, and all of them are incredibly enthusiastic and eager to start a center,” Arnold said. “Their wealth of experiences, having been directors, is something that we really want to capitalize on.”

After the candidate visits end, the committee will reconvene to make a recommendation to Marisa Kelly, provost and vice president of academic affairs, who will make the final decision.

The search for professional advisers for the center will take place in Spring 2013.

Kelly said the goal is to have the center operating by the summer of 2013, when the first class that will need to meet the requirements of the Integrative Core Curriculum will enter the college.

She said that this is an important step in getting IC 20/20 off the ground.

“We’re excited to be able to be moving forward in the first two years of the IC 20/20 implementation with an initiative that is of particular importance to students,” Kelly said.